2023 RETA Breeze March-April

• Certification Process, including the scope of each credential, competencies required for each credential, test security and administrative procedures, ways of receiving and responding to complaints and appeals, and personnel and any outside vendors that assist with developing and administering examina tions. • Certification Scheme, including detailed specifications for defining the content of each examination, a Code of Conduct for those seeking and earning each credential, criteria for earning and renewing each credential, surveillance methods and criteria for amending exams, and criteria for suspending and withdrawing credentials. • Assessment, including the application, prerequisites and other requirements. • Examinations, including all measure ment, testing and scoring methods used. RETA’s 2023 application for reaccreditation of CARO, CIRO and CRST required 74 pages with 85 attachments that document every aspect of RETA’s credentialing programs. ANAB assigns two new assessors to review all of this documentation and conduct an onsite review during the first year of the five-year cycle, then annual reports and audits in years two through five. RETA’s new assessors conducted their review in March 2023. Certificates earned from other refrigeration training programs are not required to meet any criteria as severe or thorough as the ANSI 17024 Standards. They confirm that you understood the material presented during a particular program or class. RETA’s Certification Committee (Cert Comm) has created a program that is much more demanding. CertComm members average 18 years of industry experience and include a balance of end users, manufacturers, and technical support specialists. Currently CertComm’s 18 members are from 10 states and 14 of

RETA’s 50 chapters. CertComm also builds RETA examinations to measure their depth of knowledge about how to identify and correct prob lems in industrial refrigeration systems before they become serious threats to the safety and efficiency of a facility. CIRO and CRST include system screens that present temperatures, pressures and other information inside a system that is designed to help operators and techni cians prevent more catastrophic problems from occurring. RETA’s accreditation assures its members and credential holders that those who earn RETA credentials have demonstrated competence levels that qualify them to operate and support refrigeration systems safely and efficiently. Many prominent industry employers require operators and technicians to earn a RETA credential as part of their qualifica tions. This gives employers confidence that they are hiring a qualified operator or technician. OSHA inspectors in many states often begin a visit to a refrigeration facility by asking how many RETA-certified operators are employed there. This also can lead to reduced energy costs and insurance rates.

But the greatest benefits commonly go to the individuals who earn a RETA credential with higher earnings. Many companies increase the compensation or an operator or technician who earns a RETA credential. Earning a RETA credential can benefit both the employer and the person who earns it. RETA wants all our candidates to be successful and wish you all the best. RETA has designed books, study guides and practice tests to help every candidate earn RETA credentials that help them succeed throughout their careers. That is an essential part of our commitment to help refrigeration operators and technicians meet RETA’s mission to improve safety and efficiency throughout the industry.

HarryWilkins RETA Certification Manager

Dr. Ron Rodgers RETA Accreditation Manager and Psychometrician

RETA.com 27